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Charles Oakley changes tune on LeBron-Jordan comparison

It’s understandable to be weary of the comparisons between LeBron James and Michael Jordan during All-Star weekend.

Still, at least this one comes — not from media bloviators — but from one of Jordan’s former Bulls teammates who has remained one of Jordan’s closer friends.

During an interview at the NBA Legends Brunch, Charles Oakley didn’t speak so highly of the current quality of play in the NBA (“bad”), but did gush about the game’s reigning MVP.

“I appreciate him as a person, a mindset out on the court to perfect the game,” Oakley said of James. “Everybody’s criticizing him about this, about that, and he lets his game get better every year, and he got smarter every year, no matter what no one said. He let his game grow with him. The man is the best player, ain’t never gonna be a player like that. He’s going to go down as a top three player in the history of basketball.”

Oakley, who retired in 2003 during his 19th season, said James would have been successful in his era, “because he’s big and strong.”

“He might not have had a lot of big numbers, but he would have made it,” Oakley said. “If you can get 26 (points) instead of 27, it’s the same thing. But he’s a guy you want to play with, no matter level what he played. If he played 40 years ago, he understands basketball. He’s one of the smartest guys I’ve seen in this game, probably go down as one of the smartest guys. He dictates offense, defense, he can do it all.”

So what of the LeBron-Jordan debate?

“It’s a different debate,” Oakley said. “I ask everybody, who’s the best between Magic and LeBron? Everyone says Michael’s greatest. But, OK, well, we’ll give him his props. But LeBron is a better athlete, and he can do more than Michael on the basketball court. Michael is finisher, a great shooter, and it is what it is.”

These comments are especially interesting, when considering what Oakley told Hoopsworld in October 2011:

“I wouldn’t put them in the same conversation. It took a while for Michael to win championships too, but they have a different swagger, a different demeanor. If I would compare anybody to Michael Jordan, it would be Kobe Bryant. oint blank. I know LeBron well; he don’t have what Michael have so I’m not even gonna discuss that one. To be a superstar (LeBron) has to go back to his fundamentals… work on his post game, work off the ball.”

Yes, for LeBron James, a championship has changed just about everything.

Now, as for the current state of the NBA….

Oakley is not impressed. In fact, that’s why he says the Heat’s unconventional style is working.

“The league is that bad, they can play smallball and win,” Oakley said. “You just got to know how to play ball, that’s the key. They know how to play. They’ve got two of the best players in the league, they’ve got one of the best midrange jumpshooters in the game. You can drive and kick all day.”

That bad?

“That’s the way I view it, as far as talent,” Oakley said. “I mean, they’re money. Could be a strip club. You don’t have to have good dancers, you got to have a good name. Like Magic City in Atlanta. You don’t have to the best girls, but just (be) known for something.”

Why is the game down?

“Coaches are not teaching skills no more, just giving a guy the basketball and letting him dribble the whole game,” Oakley said. “I mean, when you dribble eight times, nine times, ain’t going nowhere, that’s not good basketball, that’s bad basketball.”